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The Atlantic Cities: Why the Streets of Copenhagen and Amsterdam Look So Different From Ours

Ever since I left Copenhagen, I have missed biking. During my six months there, I biked daily, everywhere. Austin, my hometown, is one of the rare American cities known for cycling, though that doesn’t really mean much. Let’s face it, there aren’t any American cities that could be considered cycling cities. (Yes, this means you too, Portland.) So here is an article that begins to explain why two European cities, including Copenhagen, returned to the bike.

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Bike Lessons, Enghave Plads, Copenhagen, Denmark
My sister arrived a week before Christmas. She wanted to bike as the Danes do, but she was also unsure of her biking abilities. So we practiced on the plaza that once held a giant chestnut tree, now torn down to make way for a new metro station.

Dec 29th

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Bike Lessons, Enghave Plads, Copenhagen, Denmark

My sister arrived a week before Christmas. She wanted to bike as the Danes do, but she was also unsure of her biking abilities. So we practiced on the plaza that once held a giant chestnut tree, now torn down to make way for a new metro station.

Bike Polo, Israels Plads, Copenhagen
This is something that could only happen in a city as obsessed with cycling as Copenhagen. One hand to steer, one hand to guide the ball, and an insane sense of balance. These guys were moving so fast, maneuvering between each other, I was surprised that there weren’t more crashes (which there were plenty of).

Sep 28th

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Bike Polo, Israels Plads, Copenhagen

This is something that could only happen in a city as obsessed with cycling as Copenhagen. One hand to steer, one hand to guide the ball, and an insane sense of balance. These guys were moving so fast, maneuvering between each other, I was surprised that there weren’t more crashes (which there were plenty of).

Biking in Copenhagen

Two weeks and I am finally getting the hang of my bike. I know that it is not the nicest bike in the world. The right handle keeps sliding off, the back wheel rubs the guard from time to time, and the gear shifter is cracked. Plus, the bike is much too tall for me. I dread every stop light because I cannot reach the ground. Despite this, and two minor crashes, I’ve come to really love biking through the city.

The first time the benefits of biking really clicked with me was on a Friday night. I had gone out drinking with the other interns, and as we moved from place to place, we used our bikes. The speed and simplicity of moving by bike was astonishing to me. In Austin, every time I wanted to go anywhere, I was concerned about parking, or bus routes, or traffic. With bikes, all these problems disappear. Plus, the ride back to my apartment at three in the morning couldn’t have been easier. Copenhagen’s wide bike lanes and infinite flatness made getting home, even when mildly intoxicated and tired, a breeze.